View source for USS Douglas H. Fox

{{Short description|Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer}}
{{more footnotes|date=January 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
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|Ship image=[[File:USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) underway in the 1950s.jpg|300px|USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) underway in the 1950s]]
|Ship caption=
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{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1973}}
|Ship name=USS ''Douglas H. Fox''
|Ship namesake=Douglas H. Fox
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Todd Pacific Shipyards]], Seattle
|Ship laid down=31 January 1944
|Ship launched=30 September 1944
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=26 December 1944
|Ship decommissioned=15 December 1973
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=15 December 1973
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=To [[Chile]] 8 January 1974
|Ship notes=
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=Chile
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Chile|navy}}
|Ship name={{ship|Chilean destroyer|Ministro Portales|DD-17|2}}
|Ship namesake=
|Ship acquired=8 January 1974
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship identification=DD-17
|Ship fate=Scuttled off [[Cape Horn]] on 11 November 1998
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class={{sclass|Allen M. Sumner|destroyer}}
|Ship displacement={{convert|2,200|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|376|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|15|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*{{convert|60,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
*2 propellers
|Ship speed={{convert|34|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship range={{convert|6500|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=336
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*6 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}]]/38 guns
* 12 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm]] AA guns
* 11 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm]] AA guns
* 10 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
* 6 × [[depth charge]] projectors
* 2 × depth charge tracks
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'''USS ''Douglas H. Fox'' (DD-779)''' was an {{sclass|Allen M. Sumner|destroyer}} of the [[United States Navy]].

==Namesake==
Douglas Harold Fox was born on 26 March 1905 in [[Walled Lake, Michigan]]. He attended Dowagiac High School in Dowagiac, Michigan, prior to entering the [[United States Naval Academy]] on 8 August 1922. He graduated from the [[United States Naval Academy]] on 3 June 1926, but remained there for the summer course in aviation through 11 August. His first tour of duty at sea took him to {{USS|Seattle|ACR-11|6}}, reporting on board on 17 October 1926. He was detached from ''Seattle'' on 12 September 1927, and after two months at the Fifth Naval District at [[Norfolk, Virginia]], joined the battleship {{USS|New York|BB-34|6}} on 5 November. On 17 June 1930, he reported on board the destroyer {{USS|Claxton|DD-140|6}} and from there transferred to {{USS|Pope|DD-225|6}}, serving on it on the Asiatic Station from 27 March 1931 to 15 May 1934). The next two years he trained reservists on board [[Eagle-class patrol craft|''Eagle No. 32'']], attached to the Twelfth Naval District at [[San Francisco]], California. Upon completing that tour, he travelled to [[Mare Island Navy Yard]], reporting on board {{USS|Preston|DD-379|6}} on 24 July 1936 while it fitted out, and became the ship’s gunnery officer upon its commissioning on 27 October 1936. From 5 June 1939 to 31 May 1940 he served as ''Preston''s executive officer. For a couple of months following that assignment, Fox served at the Recruiting Training School at [[San Diego]], California and then from 13 July 1940 to 13 March 1942 was officer in charge of the Naval Recruiting Station at [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota. He briefly attended the Naval Fleet Sound School at [[Key West]], [[Florida]] from 16–28 March 1942. On 1 April 1942, he reported to the Bethlehem Steel Co., at Quincy, Massachusetts where [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant commander]] Fox was given command of the newly commissioned destroyer {{USS|Barton|DD-599|6}} on 29 May 1942. He went down with his ship when it was [[torpedo]]ed and sunk in the [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] on 13 November 1942. He was posthumously awarded the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]]. He also later received an [[Award star]] in lieu of a second Navy Cross for earlier actions on 26 and 30 October and 3 November in which he had rescued downed aviators and survivors of {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|6}} under hazardous conditions.

==History==
''Douglas H. Fox'' was launched 30 September 1944 by [[Todd-Pacific Shipyards|Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc.]], [[Seattle, Washington]]; sponsored by Mrs. J. T. Boone; and commissioned 26 December 1944.

===United States Navy===

====1945-1946====
=====Okinawa=====
''Douglas H. Fox'' joined in exercises in the [[Hawaiian Islands]] from 31 March 1945 to 21 April 1945, then sailed to join the [[radar picket]] line at [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], arriving 5 May 1945. She accounted for 7 planes during a concentrated attack by 11 enemy planes, splashed 5 of her attackers before being hit by a ''[[kamikaze]]'' and its bomb, and sprayed with gasoline from 1 of her own victims. Although 7 of her crew were killed and 35 wounded, the fires were quickly extinguished and effective damage control measures enabled ''Fox'' to reach [[Kerama Retto]] under her own power for temporary repairs. She continued to [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] for permanent repairs, arriving 23 June.

[[File:USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) in Puget Sound in March 1945.jpg|thumb|left|''Douglas H. Fox'' in March 1945.]]

=====Return to the US, Atlantic Duty=====
After refresher training at [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], ''Fox'' sailed on 30 September 1945 for the East Coast, arriving at [[New York City]] 17 October 1945 for the [[Navy Day]] celebrations. She put in at her home port of [[Norfolk, Virginia]] 2 November 1945 and served on local operations and plane guard duty in the [[Caribbean]]. She aided in the [[shakedown cruise|shakedown]] of the aircraft carrier {{USS|Franklin D. Roosevelt|CVB-42|6}} from 14 January 1945 to 6 March 1946, visiting [[Rio de Janeiro]] in February. ''Fox'' remained in the Caribbean in various training and escort duties until 14 December 1946 when she arrived at [[New London, Connecticut|New London]] for leave and upkeep.

====1947-1962====
''Douglas H. Fox'' departed Norfolk 21 July 1947 for a tour of duty in the [[Mediterranean]]. On 29 September, while bound for [[Trieste]], she struck a [[World War II]] era mine which severely damaged her stern, killed 3 and injured 12 of her crew. She was towed to [[Venice]] by two Italian tugs, and put to sea on 13 November 1947 in tow by {{USS|Luiseno|ATF-156|6}} for [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], arriving 5 December 1947, for repairs.

Sailing from [[Newport, Rhode Island]], 20 July 1948, ''Fox'' returned to the Mediterranean and visited various ports there until 28 September 1948, when she joined the [[cruiser]] {{USS|Huntington|CL-107|6}} for a goodwill cruise to [[Mombasa, Kenya]]; [[Durban, South Africa]]; and round [[Cape Horn]] to [[Buenos Aires]], Rio de Janeiro, and [[Montevideo]]. She returned to Norfolk 8 December 1948, for operations off the [[Virginia Capes]] until 5 January 1950 when she arrived at [[Charleston, South Carolina]]. She was placed out of commission in reserve there 21 April 1950.

Recommissioned 15 November 1950, after the [[Korean War|outbreak of war]] in [[Korea]], ''Fox'' served on the East Coast until 22 January 1952 when she got underway from Norfolk for the Far East. She joined the screen of TF 77 on patrol off Korea, and participated in the bombardment of [[Wonsan]] 13 March 1952. Later in March, she joined the cruiser {{USS|Manchester|CL-83|6}} in conducting harassing fire against enemy troops on the east coast of Korea. In May she began independent operations, shelling targets, supporting minesweeping operations, and weakening the [[North Korea]]n fishing industry by capturing 26 sampans. She got underway from [[United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka|Yokosuka]] 21 June 1952, and sailed west through the [[Indian Ocean]] and the Mediterranean Sea to complete a round-the-world cruise at Norfolk 19 August 1952, this time in a reverse direction.

''Fox'' made a midshipman training cruise to [[Nova Scotia]] from 20 June to 8 July 1955, and served tours of duty with the [[United States Sixth Fleet|6th Fleet]] in the Mediterranean from 7 November 1956 to 20 February 1957. Between 3 September and 22 December 1957, she joined elements of the British and Canadian navies for a [[NATO]] exercise in the North Atlantic, visiting the Mediterranean before returning to Norfolk to resume local operations. Between 7 August 1959 and 26 February 1960, she served again in the Mediterranean, as well as in the [[Red Sea]] and [[Persian Gulf]], returning to Norfolk for overhaul. From June through the end of 1960, ''H. Fox'' operated off the East Coast, cruising north of the [[Arctic Circle]] on [[NATO]] maneuvers, and patrolling in the Caribbean during political unrest in [[Central America]].

After completing a 1961 Mediterranean deployment, ''Fox'' participated in [[anti-submarine warfare]] (ASW) exercises and patrols through March 1962. At that time the ship went into the [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]] for a FRAM II ([[Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization]]) conversion. Included in the changes were updated torpedo mounts, and a Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH) and Variable-Depth Sonar (VDS) system. In November 1962, she departed from the yard with this increased ASW capability, more modern and comfortable quarters, and a longer life expectancy with the United States Navy.

====1963-1973====
In December 1962, ''Douglas H. Fox''  reported to the Fleet Training Group at [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba]] for refresher training and base defense. In February and March 1963, the ship took part in Operation Springboard - 63, an extensive training cruise in the Caribbean, after which she resumed her ASW ready duties with the [[United States Atlantic Fleet|Atlantic Fleet]]. Early July 1964 found ''Fox'' deployed to the Mediterranean, returning in November. In early 1965, she took part in [[Operation Springboard-65]], after which she resumed her ASW duties with Task Group Four.

[[File:USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) underway in the 1960s.jpg|thumb|''Douglas H. Fox'' after her FRAM II-modernization.]]

Summer 1965 found ''Fox'' deployed to the Mediterranean and [[Middle East]], where she conducted ASW operations with the [[Royal Navy]] and then participated in contingency operations off the coast of [[Pakistan]]. During this period, ''Fox'' received the Atlantic Fleet ASW Award for her consistent success in the art of anti-submarine warfare. From November 1965 to April 1966 she was in Norfolk Naval Shipyard undergoing overhaul.

In July 1966, she returned to the Mediterranean and paid a visit to Safi, [[Morocco]]. ''Fox'' was the first American warship to visit Safi in seventeen years. The ship returned to Norfolk 17 December 1966, and in 1967 the ship performed a variety of work with the [[United States 2nd Fleet|Second Fleet]], with the major emphasis on anti-submarine warfare. Much time was spent in this period in areas just east of [[Cape Hatteras]].

In May 1967, ''Fox'' operated with 55 ships from four countries in [[Operation Fizwiz Sunrise]]. In June, a NATO exercise called [[Operation New Look|New Look]] took the ship to the North Atlantic for ten days of highly competitive ASW operations with the [[Royal Canadian Navy]]. In addition, there were two weeks of operations out of [[Key West]] as a school ship for the Fleet Sonar School. On 1 September 1967 the ship began a five-month deployment with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.

In September 1968, 323 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, while en route to [[Vietnam]], a flashback fire in the aft fireroom erupted, killing three seamen and injuring five. The fire was brought under control and the ship returned to port on one engine.  After extensive repairs were completed at [[Charleston Naval Shipyard]], ''Fox'' departed again for Vietnam arriving in February 1969. From February to September, she operated in the Vietnam area on a variety of assignments which included plane-guarding in the [[Tonkin Gulf]], and harassment and interdiction fire on a regular basis. She also operated independently providing close-in gunfire support to troops on numerous occasions.

===Chilean Navy===
{{main|Chilean destroyer Ministro Portales (DD-17)}}
On 15 December 1973, ''Douglas H. Fox'' was given orders to proceed to the Navy Yard at Philadelphia to be decommissioned. After decommissioning, the ship was sold to [[Chile]] for further naval service. Under a different flag and with a new name, '''''Ministro Portales'' (DD-17)''' served its new country for another 22 years. Between 1975 and 1976 she was refitted with an extension in the flight deck. ''Ministro Portales'' participated in the Beagle-Channel diplomatic conflict in 1978. in this period, all the Chilean navy ships were camouflaged. This ship was decommissioned from the Chilean Navy in 1990. ''Ministro Portales'' was sunk off [[Cape Horn]] on 11 November 1998 at 15:47 hours (Chilean time).<ref>[http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Naufragios/01-CabodeHornos/18-HistM2.htm Ministro Portales]</ref>

==Awards==
''Douglas H. Fox'' received one [[battle star]] for World War II service and one for Korean War service.

==References==
*{{DANFS|http://history.navy.mil/danfs/d5/douglas_h_fox.htm}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://history.navy.mil/danfs/d5/douglas_h_fox.htm history.navy.mil: USS ''Douglas H. Fox''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915110822/http://history.navy.mil/danfs/d5/douglas_h_fox.htm |date=2005-09-15 }}
*[http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/779.htm navsource.org: USS ''Douglas H. Fox'']
*[http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd779txt.htm hazegray.org: USS ''Douglas H. Fox'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040405122051/http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/dd779/ USS ''Douglas H. Fox'' Association]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011705/http://www.armada.cl/site/unidades_navales/468.htm armada.cl: Destructor ''Ministro Portales'']
*[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/2067.html uboat.net: USS ''Douglas H. Fox'' (DD-779)]

{{Allen M. Sumner class destroyer}}
{{Chilean destroyers}}
{{1947 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas H. Fox (Dd-779)}}
[[Category:Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Seattle]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]
[[Category:World War II destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1947]]
[[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Vietnam War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers of the Chilean Navy]]